Category: Education
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Elberta Business Owners Speak! On State Proposal 14-1
By Emily Votruba Tomorrow, August 5, voters will decide whether to adopt a proposal to eliminate the personal property tax. The strangely worded measure doesn’t actually mention “personal property tax,” but instead says the following: Approval or disapproval of amendatory act to reduce state use tax and replace with a…
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2014 Bruce Catton Award Winning Essay: “He Was Lost, but I Found Him”
The following story, by J.J. Swander, took first place this year in the annual Bruce Catton Awards event. Each year, freshmen at Frankfort–Elberta High School compose essays inspired by their reading of Catton’s Waiting for the Morning Train, about his life growing up in Benzie County. J.J. Swander is a fifteen-year-old…
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Adult Spelling Bee to Contain No XXX Words
By Emily Votruba On Friday, April 11, Stormcloud Brewing Company and the Betsie Current newspaper present a spelling bee to raise money for a great cause: local education. If you are a mature, brewery-going person with an orthographic bent, find yourself a partner and register to spell competitively by sending…
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Catton Essay: “The Biggest Game of the Year”
By Mason Loney Each year, first-year high school students at Frankfort–Elberta High School and Benzie Central read Bruce Catton’s Waiting for the Morning Train and create their own reminiscence of growing up in Benzie County. Mason Loney submitted this essay to the Bruce Catton Awards contest in 2013. Mason, now…
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Little Free Library Comes to Elberta
A new “Little Free Library” has opened for business in Elberta. It’s located on the front porch of the Conundrum Café at 603 Frankfort Avenue. Books are available 24-7. If your inner book worm is turning and you feel the need (the need to read) “check out” one of the…
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August Events at the Benzie Shores Library
Thursday, August 1 – Story Hour with Miss Julie Friday, August 2, 10:00 a.m. – World of Lego, ages 5-12 Monday, August 5, 10:00 a.m. – Circle Time for Infants & Toddlers Tuesday, August 6, 10:00 a.m. – Young Artists, ages 6-14 Wednesday, August 7, 10:00 a.m. – Fun and…
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Proposed Free WiFi Area
The Alert obtained this printout of the proposed free WiFi coverage area from Frankfort City Council member Richard Haan. This is just a preliminary plan, not final; if you’re interested in this issue, contact a Frankfort City Council member or attend one of their regular meetings, on the third Tuesday…
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Support Outdoor Education and Blooming Michigan Artistry
By Lena Wilson Many potent life lessons come through interaction with young people in our lives. By making an effort to pay closer attention and ask questions we’re reminded, though we didn’t know we had forgotten, how to play and act in the moment. Though the children certainly don’t intend…
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New Sleeping Bear Birding Trail Is First in State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (from Douglas Cook, president, Benzie Audubon Club) April 2013 MICHIGAN’S SLEEPING BEAR BIRDING TRAIL CONNECTS THE DOTS Michigan’s coastline and habitat diversity have long been a draw to bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. Birders and eco-tourists spend millions each year in the enjoyment of their pursuits. Now,…
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Benzie County Water Festival 2013! (Video)
UPDATE For the third year in a row, the Benzie County Water Festival convenes this coming Friday at Benzie Central High School from 3:30 pm to 9 pm. This year’s theme is: “Under The Surface,” focused on youth and lesser-understood impacts to our water resources. Once again it brings Michigan musicians, panel discussions,…
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League of Women Voters Education Forum (Video)
On February 25, the League of Women Voters held a forum on new education legislation and how it might affect local control of schools. Jonathan Maue took this video and has generously let us post it here. The League of Women Voters is a national nonpartisan organization. The Benzie chapter…
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Demystifying the Science of Climate Change Film Presentation
It’s OK to admit it: You just don’t know whether climate change is actually happening and if it is, whether and how it’s going to affect you. On April 17, just ahead of Earth Day, join nationally known filmmaker Peter Sinclair for CLIMATE CHANGE 2013: Demystifying the Science, a presentation…
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Panthers Wring Out the Glen Lake Lakers 42-41
Reporting by Kelli Stapleton January 24, 2013—Frankfort–Elberta Men’s Basketball, state ranked for the first time since the ’70s, under the coachmanship of Elberta mayor Reg Manville, faced the Glen Lake Lakers, who were 9-1 coming into the game. According to coach Manville, who asked Pete Sandman, the Panthers’ now 10-0…
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Pride of BC: Let’s Talk about Bullying in Schools
An anti-bullying group for parents holds its first meeting tomorrow at Benzie High School’s SEEDS room at 6:30 pm. The group is a spinoff of the kids’ anti-bullying Pride group that formed earlier this year. All are welcome to come out and discuss how we can be nicer to each…
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What’s Eating the Local Food Movement?
By Emily Votruba EVENT Tuesday, December 4. The Northern Michigan Culinary Arts Community invites the public to a talk by Patty Cantrell, “Local Food: A Prescription for National Healing.” With free, locally sourced appetizers made by SEEDS kids and some of our area’s most talented chefs. 7 pm to 8:30…
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Gov Watch: Bills to Take the Public Out of Michigan Education?
By Emily Votruba State legislators may soon vote on a set of bills that would make sweeping “emergency manager”–style changes to state public education, while making it easier to establish private and charter schools. The Benzie Democrats and Frankfort–Elberta Schools superintendent Tom Stobie have voiced their concern, as has Bloomfield…
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School Band Concert Tonight
Tonight! Spring Band Concert at 7 pm at the Franfort–Elberta High School cafetorium. The elementary 5&6 graders will open the show, making their debut performance, followed by the junior high band, then the high school band. Featuring songs from Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Anastasia, and some oldies but…
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Kindergarten and Pre-K Roundup Time!
By Jennifer Wilkins, Head Start educator Well, Parents, it’s that time of year. Time to start thinking about getting your little ones signed up for preschool and kindergarten. Benzie County has many options for preschool. Benzie Central Elementary Schools house Head Start Programs that enroll 2 1/2- to 5-year-olds and…